2/5 live

UTG limps. Hes semi tilting. He been rivered on some very small pots and is pissed. For example....I raised AK to $25 and got 2 callers. Then he pushed for $35 total. We all called the extra $10. The flop was Qxx....it got checked down to the river which was an ace and I split with another guy who had AK. This guy was pissed that his QT lost on the river. Hes all in preflop with QT and gets pissed. hes bought back in full now but is down to $430.

Another limper who is clueless. He doesnt know what a straddle is. He bet a AK4 flop and I called. he bet $20 on the turn J and he called my $80 raise. The rievr was a J and he checked. I knew he had some garbage ace and I knew he wouldnt fold it. I had A6s. Against some guys I bet $150 or more and make him fold but since I knew he wouldnt fold Ax, I didnt want to take the chance of him really having a J. I said "I check and I'll split it with you. He had A6

So they limp abnd I raise to $30 with [Kd]. They call.

Pot $100. Flop [4s][2s]. UTG checks, newbie fish leads $60. UTG has $400. Fish has $500, I cover. Whats my play?

$200

Raise and call the push, standard.

Isnt it pretty obvious that the guy has a set?

One guy led into me which would normally mean he has a K, I raise to a healthy amount and now UTG check raises all in. Since I have a K and MP probably has one, its doubtful that UTG also has a K.

So on odds alone, he shouldnt have a K, but nobody plays KQ this way do they? I guess it could be a split with another AK, but as I said , odds are against him having a K.

1) Limp UTG
2) Check to raiser
3) See a bet AND a raise from the raiser....and then he CRAI

I smell a set...but can I fold getting these odds?

It just seems like this is poker 101....easy fold for AK. But how do you fold aftyer getting this much money in the pot already?

[quote="iceman5"]

I smell a set...but can I fold getting these odds?[quote]

Do you have odds that perhaps he doesn't have a set so its worth it to call? Yeah, maybe. But when you do that, its basically like short selling the stock of a company you work for. You are betting against yourself. You're saying, "My poker gut says X, but I'm going to bet against my better senses because of pot odds."

It might be EV to do so, but what happens after this hand, and he has a set just as you thought. You sit there and feel silly for calling. Does that affect your game even just a litte? It does mine.

What about the opposite? You fold, and he shows the set. Don't you feel a little more powerful and your reads are even stronger. That has to help long-term.

I say go with your gut because the poker player divided against himself will not succeed long-term.

Which feels worse?

Calling and being shown a set like youve seen a million times and feeling like a fool for falling for it?...or...

Folding and being shown a hand that you beat and thinking "This is live poker, I should never fold TPTK"?

I definitely hate a bad fold in a big pot much worse than a bad call. I still say go with your gut here. At your level of play, I think it's more about relying on and improving instincts than anything else.